Knights of The Old Republic

Episode 69

8

APR/13

After a few hours of search and rescue operations the heroes save the few survivors of the mine’s collapse and return sullenly to Anchorhead. . Kip and the sand peoples’ use of explosives in the mine gives weight to the threat of razing Anchorhead to the ground. Lt. Calway reviews shipment manifests of what was thought to be destroyed materials from previous raids and concludes it’s possible that they would have enough ordinance to destroy most of Anchorhead. The desert guide Massiff states that by their robes and gaffi sticks he knows which tribe is under Kip’s influence.

The heroes discuss what they witnessed happen to Kip when he tried to break free of the hold of the darkside. Galen has never seen or heard of anything like it. Knight Neros sets a priority of recovering the Sith Holocron, destroying the stolen ordinance, and capturing Kip to take to the Masters so they can examine him. Galen and Leo see to the city’s defenses while the others heal up.

After a day in a Kolto tank Leeloo is taken out by Eva, who gives an apology to Leeloo and for endangering everyone in the mine and she questions if she should even be out here. Leeloo reassures her.

After two days of recovery the heroes along with Massiff prepare for an assault on the sand people village. Lt. Calway going against the direction of the Viceroy arranges for 20 Czerka volunteer troopers to accompany them. Knight Neros and Tyan try and persuade Eva not to go, but with Leeloo’s help she decides to go, for Kip’s sake.

Meanwhile Kip is completely consumed with activating the Sith Holocron. After great effort he manages to activate it and discovers it belonged to the Sith Lord Magus whom was buried in the holy well. Kip pledges fidelity to the Sith Lord in exchange for knowledge and power. Over time Kip asks for information on the Pool of Stars, but is told he is not ready for that level of power.

At the village they split into two teams. Team 1 lead by Leo and Tyan will assault the main gate, giving a distraction for Galen, Corraun, Leeloo, Massiff and Eva to travel down the mountain that the village butts up against, so they can sneak into main hut and steal back the Holocron and subdue Kip if possible.

Leo and Tyan begin the assault trying to protect two troops with enough explosives to blow open the Krayt dragon bone gates. The wall sentries drop several troopers before they reach the gate. Once there a group of sand people and a Bantha spring forth an ambush breaking their ranks. Czerka troops drop the massive beast and set the timer for the explosives, but not without casualties. The explosives not only take out the gate and a good size section of the gate, but a dozen Sand people warriors waiting on the other side. The warlord leads a charge against the invaders atop a Bantha. Leopold leaps atop the Bantha and with his trusty light foil wounds the warlord. The Czerka troopers drop several more warriors forcing the warlord into the cave housing the stolen explosives. Leo, Tyan and the remaining troops run in after them.

Team 2 reaches the main hut without being detected. Once inside they quickly dispatch a few warriors and reptile guard hounds called Massiffs. Unfortunately their desert guide Massiff takes a near fatal shot from a cycler rifle. Team 1 enters the cave to fine seven warriors entrenched. It costs the lives of the remaining Czerka troopers but Leopold and Tyan destroy the last of the guards and venture cautiously deeper into the cave.

Team 2 reaches the inner sanctum to find Kip and two sand people awaiting their arrival. Galen gives Kip another chance to surrender, but it’s refused. Corraun moves in to strike down Kip, but is defended by his faithful guard. Kip unleashes a powerful display of darkside energy consuming the air with negative emotions of fear causing the young force users to be distracted. Kip releases force lighting from his fingertips at Corraun nearly bringing him to his knees. Leeloo tries to help, but her emotions get the best of her. Galen drops one of the guards and Kip forces angry onto everyone. This sends Corraun into a frenzy and he’ll stop at nothing to kill Kip.

Leo and Tyan reach the end of the cave and find a mountain of Czerka explosives guarded by the injured Warlord. Unable to fire and risk hitting the explosives Tyan retreats to find a melee weapon, leaving Leopold on his own. Leopold engages the warlod Light foil vs. poison tipped gaffi-stick. The two trained combatants exchange blows, but the ferocious Warlord lands a powerful strike felling the already severely wounded Leopold to his knees. Tyan returns just in time to witness a seemly fatal death strike to Leopold.

Galen tries to calm Corraun as Kip continues to taunt him. Any chance to pull Corraun out of his rage is obliterated when Kip nearly fries both Eva and Leeloo with his force lightning. Galen after dropping the last guard manages to hold Kip with the force. Leeloo cuts apart his twin light sabers leaving him defenseless, Corraun advances with hate in his eyes. Leeloo does the unthinkable and blocks a killing blow from Corraun to save Kip’s life and begins to berate Corraun, the hate in the room fueling her emotions. Eva steps up to Kip and point blanks blasts him with her stun gun. With the immediate threat from Kip extinguished and with the hurtful words from Leeloo still ringing in his ears, Corraun shuts off his saber and walks away.

Tyan does his best against the warlord, but the battle is ended quickly with the young senator unconscious and bleeding out at the feet of the tribes’ champion. To Tyan’s good fortune Corraun enters the cave and seeing the carnage calls out for Tyan and Leo. The warlord sinks into the shadows. Corraun turns the corner and runs to Tyan’s aide and stops the bleeding, but gives the warlord the element of surprise on Corraun. His gaff-stick bites into Corraun’s flesh followed by the horrid pain of the sandbat venom. Corraun calls on the force to empower his body and rises to his feet. The two skilled combatants go at each other, but the warlord makes a fatal mistake trying to block the light saber with his gaffi-stick, Corraun’s blade cuts through it and lands a mortal blow. The sole surviving Czerka soldier gets to his feet and helps carry Leo out of the cave. The rest of team 2 meets up with them, Kip is bound and laid over Galen’s shoulder. Corraun rigged the ordinance and with a massive explosion the cave collapses and the treat to Anchorhead is no more.

Back at Anchorhead Tyan and Leopold are treated and Lt. Calway having to explain why 19 of 20 soldiers are dead is fired. Once well enough to travel they board The Rogue Star and set forth to Coruscant.